The Whispering Woods
Chapter Five
Edward groaned when his cheek hit the cliff face, his skin screaming in pain. His arms sprung in front of him this time, to protect his nose and search for purchase. His legs remained suspended midair, and he finally realized a pair of arms circled his waist from behind.
A thin line of blood dripped over his left eye; he covered it with his shaky hand and wiped it away.
"It's only a small cut, but it's going to bleed for a bit. Grab that root to your right." The soft feminine voice was rough from exertion. She huffed twice and tried again. "Use your boots to straddle the wall if you have to."
He only nodded, working hard to do as she instructed. The moment he grabbed a hold of the tree root, he dug in the soles of his boots against the packed earth. "Now what?" He was just as out of breath as she seemed to be.
"You got a strong grip, right?" He nodded. "Hold on to the root and the rope with your other hand, too. Keep moving to a minimum. I'm going to attach you to my harness and rope." He felt a few tugs behind him and against his waist. "It should be strong enough for both of us."
He heard a resounding metallic click in the growing darkness. "Got it?"
She nodded, resting her forehead on his shoulder to catch her breath. "Give me a second."
"Sure, we have all the time in the world."
She poked his ass with something that had him yelping in protest, causing him to release one of his handholds. They swung slightly. He didn't scream like a fucking banshee. If she ever said otherwise, he'd call her a liar.
"If you want to fall into the river, let me know. I can cut you off; though, I hope you're a damn good swimmer."
Was that roaring water he heard beneath them? He didn't remember any rivers on the map of the area he picked up at the general store in town.
"I think I like our precarious position. Thank you very much." Was he still breathing heavy?
She snorted, her voice dropping an octave. "Interesting."
He had a feeling he knew what she was implying, considering she was straddling his ass. "You're not a very nice rescuer."
"You're not very nice to your rescuer."
Good point, Edward thought. When his harsh breaths no longer punctuated the silence, he thanked her a dozen times, before she tapped his shoulder and told him to shut up.
"Rude rescuer should be on your resume."
She started to laugh loudly, then suddenly, she stopped. Her body seemed to freeze around him. "Uh, don't look down."
Why do people say that shit? It was common knowledge that it would be the first thing someone would do.
Her body shifted higher, her lips on his ear distracting him. "I'm turning on my headlamp and we're slowly making our way up. It's not more than ten feet, okay?"
Edward nodded, then he looked down.
A pair of green glowing eyes stared back at him.
AN: Happy Tuesday to all! Thanks to MC for all the help, though I did tinker quite a bit. Busy week for me, doctor appointments, helping my daughter move from one tiny apartment to another, my husband's uncle is now in hospice, he's like a second grandpa :( My aunt had a successful bypass though, and that's only the tip of the iceberg that has me sinking and sinking. Also, it's my 25th wedding anniversary, however, we had to cancel our plans for a mini vacation due to what has me wanting to rip my hair out. Ughhhhh. Real-life is a pain in the ass. Thankfully writing helps, now if only I can get more cafe time, I work the best there.
See you Thursday!
Upcoming updates: Working on Perpetual Existence, have a chapter of Beauty with my beta, and halfway through chapters for Crosshairs, Incognito, and The Letter. *crosses fingers*